Signature generator

What this gives you, and what it doesn't

A signature image is a picture of your name. Pasted into a PDF it looks right, and under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 a mark applied to a document with the intention of signing it is an electronic signature. That part is real and it is worth saying plainly, because plenty of people believe an image "doesn't count".

What an image on its own does not give you is evidence. There is no record of who applied it, when, from what device, or whether the document changed afterwards. Anyone who has the PNG can put it on anything. If a signature is ever questioned, the picture is not the part that helps you — the record around it is.

That distinction is the whole reason this tool is free and the rest of EasySign is not. Signing something yourself needs no proof, because there is no one to prove it to.

How to use it

Drawing

Use a trackpad, a mouse, or your finger on a phone. Drawing on a touchscreen usually looks closer to your real signature than a mouse does. If the first attempt looks wrong, clear it and go again — most people need three or four tries, and a slightly faster stroke tends to look more natural than a careful slow one.

Typing

Type your name and pick a script. This is faster and always legible, and it is what most people end up using. It looks less like your handwriting, which matters for appearances and not at all for validity.

Placing it in a document

The download is a PNG with a transparent background, so it sits over the page rather than covering it with a white box. In Word, use Insert then Picture, and set text wrapping to In Front of Text. In Preview on a Mac, use the markup toolbar. In Adobe Acrobat, use Fill & Sign and add the image as a stamp.

Common questions

Is a typed signature legal in South Africa?

For most everyday agreements, yes. The ECT Act recognises electronic signatures generally, and does not require a particular technology. A short list of documents is excluded and cannot be signed electronically at all, including wills, and the alienation of land. A smaller set requires an advanced electronic signature from an accredited provider, most commonly a suretyship. If your document falls into either group, an image will not fix it and neither will most e-signature products.

Is my signature stored anywhere?

No. The page loads, you draw or type, and the file is produced by your own browser. There is no upload, no account, and no copy on our side. You can check this yourself: open your browser's developer tools, watch the network tab, and use the tool. Nothing goes out.

Can I use this for a contract someone else has to sign?

You can, but you would be emailing a PDF around and hoping. There is no record of who opened it, no proof of when it was signed, and nothing stopping a page being swapped afterwards. That is the point at which you want the paid product rather than a picture.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, and drawing with a finger is usually the better result.